This is a unique challenge blog where we are inspired by and focus on the Vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn and steampunk genres and encompass the talent, flair, expertise and ideas of many artists that we are inspired by. We welcome all types of projects - cards, journaling, assemblage, layouts, albums, atcs, altered art in fact whatever you want to share (as long as it is in good taste).

Friday, 23 February 2018

A Vintage Journey continues into Year 5

Welcome everyone.

Today I want to give you a 'Heads Up' on our Birthday Challenge that will posted next week, we do hope you will come and join us for the celebrations.

Can you believe we have been setting challenges and sharing inspiration posts since the beginning of March 2014? Over those four years we have stayed true to our initial focus of creating and promoting projects associated with the quality of aging and along the way we have widened that somewhat to include not only vintage but shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn and steampunk genres as well. We don't stand still and always are looking to mix things up and keep our challenges and posts fresh and inspiring. The talented team of Creative Guides work together extremely closely to challenge themselves and each other to stimulate, influence and motivate us all to create incredibly exciting and impressive projects week by week and month on month.

So to celebrate four years and move into our fifth year we have looked to weave and fuse some new ideas into our monthly structure to build a renewed and original framework for us to continue to bring you great themes, ideas, tutorials and inspiration. For the next 12 months we will be posting only on Fridays - but we will still bring our expertise, talents and creativity in its widest sense.

The timetable will now be -

The first Friday in the month - Week 1 - the new challenge will be introduced by the host Creative Guide for the month. Other team members will join in by sharing their interpretation of that theme and provide the inspiration for you to work with that focus and enter the challenges as you have always done.

The second Friday in the month - Week 2 - will be the 'Winner's' post. There will not be a prizewinner any more so we are working with a 'Just For Fun' challenge but we will continue to choose our Top 3 Pinworthy Mention projects from the previous months entries and pin them to our own Pinterest Pinworthy Board and Pinworthies will also receive an AVJ Pinworthy badge.

The third Friday in the month - Week 3 - the host Creative Guide for the month will share a tutorial post and provide the process steps to a project linked to the challenge theme. It might be the project they shared in week 1 or something completely new.

The fourth Friday of the month - Week 4 - will see a 'Creative Cardmaking' theme where another Creative Guide will share their ideas for putting together a card focusing on our preferred genres - vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn or steampunk style.

Where there is a fifth Friday in the month - Week 5 - we will continue to share our Tag Friday inspirations for you. This is a favourite of us all where we design and make and just go where our muse takes us, no focus, no constraints and no preset ideas. It's a wonderful opportunity to 'play' to our hearts content.

So there we have it, a new structure, new ideas and there will be 12 completely new challenges for you.

We all look forward to another happy and creative year of you and us sharing ideas and projects together and challenging each other in the best ways possible.

See you next week for a new beginning and another step on this amazing voyage of discovery. As we said at the beginning of year 1 there is no map just lots of tours, excursions and adventures of exploration, stretching the mind and imagination.

Many congrats Brenda and team...AVJ is one of my fave challenges. I always love visiting. The new format sounds fun...especially the creative card making week...that is my real bread and butter as you well know! Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing your talents. Happy Birthday! xxx

Many congratulations and wishing you all a Happy Birthday week! Your new schedule sounds fun and I'm looking forward to joining you and enjoying this new journey of discoveries 😁. Thanks as always for the inspiration! J 😊 x

So very excited to see what our 5th year will bring and hope that our amazingly talented followers will continue to join in the fun! Can't wait to see what everyone shares for the 5th Birthday challenge next week, I know it will be wonderful as always, thank you Brenda and all of my Creative Guide sisters for your continuing inspiration! Deb xo

Woohoo!! where have all those years gone...so hard to believe AVJ is entering the 5th year. Its nice to change things from time to time and I look forward to the journey ahead. Delighted to be here with fabulous crafty friends and followers xxxxx

I just found your site through Pinterest and an older post on someone’s blog about one of your challenges. I’m so very thrilled to find that your site is still going strong! And looks like I found you at just the right time! Happy Birthday! I look forward to your new challenges while I catch up on your older ones.:)

Happy Birthday lovely ladies, and thank you for all the hard work you do to keep this challenge running and interesting for us. You are very much appreciated. I hope the changes go well and you continue this awesome challenge Karen xx